ASU Spring 2010 Mayo Clinic
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Hello, I am new to this forum and decided to seek out those who received their letters of provisional advancement today. Luckily I made it into the Mayo Clinic program offered at ASU. I was... Read More

Jan 14, '11

Hi guys,

I seriously doubt that any of you are still using this forum, still figured I'd give it a shot though... I'm applying for summer 2011 advancement and am very interested in the Mayo Clinic program. Basically, I've only been able to find basic information on it... that classes will be mainly evenings, clinicals on the weekends, classes and most clinicals at mayo, and the curriculum is the same. But other than that, I don't know very much else about it. If someone is currently in the Mayo program and could provide me a little more info that'd be great! I haven't been able to find anyone who has been in the Mayo program to talk to and I figure getting information from someone currently in the program would really help!

Thanks

Jan 14, '11

Hello!

Well I wasn't using this thread until I received a notification, but it got my attention. Congrats on applying to nursing school and I wish you the best. As for the Mayo program, I can only tell you my perspective since that has been the only nursing program I've attended (luckily). Most of the information that you have is correct. Classes usually start around 2 pm, and we have clinical during the weekend (8-12 hrs). Any experience that Mayo can't hold (i.e. Peds/OB) is held at another facility. Our cohort is 18 people now, but started at 20. Instructors seem to be nicer at Mayo (compared to ASU Downtown) and are more accessible. Umm...what kind of specific information do you want to know?

Jan 14, '11

Thanks so much for getting back to me so fast! I just took the TEAS test today and got a 93.3%, which as far as I'm aware is very good. If I'm not mistaken, they were still using the NET when you applied? I have a 4.0 so my advancement score will be a 5.86. So I think I have a pretty good shot of getting into the Mayo program.

So I guess may main questions were about what class schedules are like... which I'm starting to get the general idea. If I did the math right, you're just about to start your last semester? So you've gone through it all!

Second, are all your classes held at Mayo. I was told by an advisor that they've held classes at the West Campus and just wanted to know if that was accurate. I know some clinicals aren't at Mayo, but I don't remember which one?

Also, because they only accept 20 people in the Mayo program at a time, are all your classes limited to those 20 students?

And personally, do you like the program overall? I was told that the Mayo program is more competitive than the traditional program... so do you know if it's any harder than the tradition program? I know Mayo is accelerated, so has that been tough to not have summers off?

Just curious, what made you choose the Mayo program over the traditional one?

Sorry for all the questions, but I'm just getting ready to turn in my application and I want to make sure I'm making the right decision! Thanks so much for your help.

Jan 15, '11

Sweet credentials. I applied with a 5.79 and made it as well Unless the level of competition suddenly rose, you should be tentatively "in".

Regarding class schedules, it sort of varies now. Last Fall another group at Mayo was admitted. Usually one cohort starts schooling and goes all the way through until another one is matriculated. Now we have two groups. My path follows the traditional Mayo schedule of evenings/weekends. It seems like the other students have classes in the morning, but that's all I really know.

Nursing school is broken up into semesters, each with a special focus. Jr. 1 (first semester) deals with learning the fundamentals (assessments, vitals, etc.) and getting your first experience in a clinical setting. Jr.2 dealt with Adult Health and Psych. Sr. 1 had us learning about OB/Peds/Community Nursing. Lastly, Sr.2 is all about emergency medicine. Basically you have a theory course in which you take tests in and learn about the area. Keeping congruent with the class, you get to put everything into practice during clinical time. There are a few extraneous classes, but it is mostly a theoretical/practical approach. Good math, btw Nursing school goes by a lot faster than one might think. I still feel like a novice :P

ALL classes are at Mayo (SSB building to be exact). Your adult health and ICU clinical will be at Mayo, but OB/Peds/Psych will definitely be at another facility. Community Nursing can be either. Our classes are limited to those 20 students all throughout the 4 semesters, so make sure you at least like one person or it'll be interesting...haha.

My opinion about Mayo has all been positive! First off, the staff that Mayo has to teach us are amazing! They know so much about nursing, and because it is a small classroom there are a plethora of opportunities to ask questions and really understand the concepts. My only problem with instructors have been with ones issued by downtown. Hmm..I can't say if our program is more competitive than Downtown (since the curriculum is the same), but it seems that because of our more intimate structure, we tend to learn the material better. As for the hospital, it is definitely state-of-the-art. I really didn't appreciate this fact until I started clinical at other facilities and noticed how advanced Mayo Clinic Hospital was in comparison. Another pro is that most of the staff is cordial and the whole spectrum of care is excellent. You'll definitely learn solid nursing skills by following Mayo nurses. Having no summer did suck, but I looked at it this way: 16 month program vs. 24 months. I can be practicing nursing during that time.

Hmm, well as I already alluded to, I chose Mayo because of the name recognition. I had to see what all the "fuss" was about and have been blown away by the professionalism exhibited by the hospital and its staff. Another sticking point was the sooner graduation. One 'pro' that I just found out about is that a Mayo nursing student has a "slight" advantage when it comes to applying for a position. It basically earns you an interview. There are a lot of hurdles to still overcome, but having some help has never been detrimental.

Does that answer some of your questions? I feel like I don't make sense. I've been volunteering over the winter in Peru and all I spoke was Spanish, haha. When you turn in your application, know that you are making an excellent choice by preferring Mayo.

Jan 15, '11

Wow, thank you so much! Your description totally made up my mind. I'm definitely going to be marking Mayo as my first choice.

That's really good to hear you haven't had any classes on the West Campus. I would really hate to make that drive. I also really like the idea that you're with the same 20 people for all four semesters. Seems a lot more personal and it would make sense that you probably learn the information better at Mayo vs. the Downtown campus because of the personalized attention.

I'm really excited! Our applications are due by February 1st. I can't imagine it'll take too long for them to let us know if we're being advanced or not considering classes will start in May. The wait is going to feel like forever! I still have 3 of the HCR classes to take this semester, but after that hopefully I'll be off to Mayo!

Mar 25, '12

energizerbunny, I was just wondering what happened in regards to your situation ? I would love to hear where the rest of your story lead to !

Mar 26, '12

Hi Ranaynay!

I don't mind answering your question (and I honestly can't believe that was all written well over a year ago!)... If you don't mind me wondering, why do you ask? Anyways, here it is!

I am currently in the upper division nursing program at ASU as planned. I completed and submitted my application for the summer 2011 start date and selected the Mayo Clinic Hospital campus as my first choice. After talking with some other pre-nursing friends prior to submitting my application, my advancement score seemed to be very good in comparison to friends or other applicants they knew of, so luckily, I was confident I would AT LEAST get into the program at the Downtown campus, if not at the Mayo Clinic Hospital campus, so it made waiting for the decision letter much easier.

Sure enough, I found out at the end of March I had been accepted into the program at the Mayo Clinic Hospital campus. I finished up my Spring Semester with all As and one B+ (I was taking 18 credits, including Organic Chemistry and General Biology in addition to the required nursing classes, so it was intense!) and started my first semester of the upper division nursing program in mid-May, about a week or two after the spring 2011 semester ended.

It was definitely a whirlwind getting started. The program started off slow (we worked on "therapeutic communication" for like... 3 weeks or something ridiculously insane like that), but eventually became very crazy, as nursing school is known for. I quickly got to know the 19 other students on the Mayo Campus and of course, we bonded very quickly. We all know each other extremely well (although we lost a classmate during the fall semester and gained a new one in the spring) and can practically introduce each other each semester when our new clinical faculty first meet us and make us go through basic introduction for two hours at the start of our orientation.

Being in such a small class definitely has its benefits, but also has its downfalls.

As for the pitfalls of being in a class of 20 at Mayo...
Let's just say... you CAN NOT get away with skipping a lecture. As soon as it starts, EVERYBODY knows EXACTLY who's missing! Teachers notice too. Prior to entering the upper division program, I probably skipped about 40% of all my lectures - I have ADHD and really struggle to focus in a lecture, so I typically teach myself the material when I prepare for the test, the lecture doesn't do much for me. So that's been a rough adjustment for me. I've been in class more than I have at any time in my life.

Also, while I LOVE all 19 of my other classmates, if your personality doesn't mesh well with someone, it can suck because you see them nearly everyday all day and there are plenty of group projects to get done in which you don't always get to pick who you work with. And among the 20 of us, we are a very diverse bunch... nearly half of my classmates are second degree students, we have a few mothers in our group, started off with 4 male students but now have 3, the majority of our class is in their late 20s, 30s, and a couple in their 40s, and only 5 of us would be considered the "typical" type college student (meaning we went to college immediately following high school graduation at 18 and began the upper division program at 20 years old - and fun fact , we had 3 21st birthdays this month... 1 was yesterday, 1 is today, mine will be next month, and the baby of the group turns 21 in June). So with that kind of diversity we have a TON of different learning styles... some of my classmates like to get things done very early as soon as they're assigned while others (like me) wait until the last minute to complete assignments and projects (with the ADHD, I work best when under a time constraint, or "pressure" so to speak). So when it comes to group projects, if you have multiple learning styles in one group - it can sometime create havoc and cause a lot of frustration between group members... all of which, remember, you will see everyday and be in the same class for 16 months.

It was also a really sad experience to lose a classmate. We're such a close-knit group that we were all upset by his departure. He ended up catching the bug that seemed to be passed around our class (I got it right before him actually) and he ended up getting REALLY sick from it during our Psychiatric clinical rotation (getting sick typically happens frequently in nursing school, especially during the first few semesters... I mean, you ARE constantly around people who are sick, so it makes sense)..Our clinical faculty specifically directed us NOT to attend clinical if we were ill so that we would not infect our patients (I personally missed 1 clinical day and went another day while still slightly ill). But because he was so sick, he ended up missing 2 clinical days and a test or two (which he had been allowed to make up due to the circumstances), but unfortunately made it impossible for him to pass the clinical rotation according to our faculty. So it was sad to see him go half way through the semester. At the start of the spring semester, we got a new addition to our class. She was definitely brave coming into our group half way through the program... I give her credit! I think it would be intimidating. But we all welcomed her with open arms - we're a friendly, goofy bunch, and we're very glad to have her!

As for the negatives of the Mayo Clinic campus in particular... well, we're in the SAME EXACT ROOM for every single lecture in every single class. It can get a little monotonous. Plus, most the time, we all sit in the same exact spot (I've been in the same location since our orientation day prior to the start of the program). The lab and simulation lab are also attached to the classroom, so like I said... we're always in the same place - for 16 months. I personally like variety, so this has been an adjustment for me. The majority of our faculty are also nurses at the Mayo Clinic and work as "adjunct" faculty for ASU, so we sometimes have teachers for multiple classes (for example, 2 of our teachers this semester also taught during our first semester). So depending on how well you liked that particular teacher and your relationship with them, this can be good or bad. But like I said, I like variety

Now for the BENEFITS of the Mayo program...
Like I said, we are a close-knit group! We have a FB group page in which we constantly ask questions of each other and post reminders about assignments or coordinate group projects and such. I honestly love the relationship I have with my classmates. I've developed a few really good friends in the process. And whenever you have a problem or need help in a class, any of the 19 in our group would be more than happy to help if they can! Also, we've had our fair share of experiences and inside jokes. Makes for a good time, even during the most stressful times of nursing school.

When I do pay attention in class, having only 20 students in every class makes lectures very nice! Classes tend to be more interactive than ones I've taken in the past. You're not intimidated to ask questions and the lecture can be catered more particularly to your and the classes needs. I find that lectures are more like a big group discussion than you're typical 200 person lecture that you find yourself in the first few years of college. Most of our teachers goof around with us a lot and are able to laugh with us when we get silly. I've definitely never had as close of a relationship with my faculty in this program as I've had in any other class in my college experience.

We do as many of our clinical rotations at the Mayo Clinic Hospital as possible. And in comparison to many other facilities in the area, Mayo is an EXTREMELY nice hospital and I've noticed a big difference in the nursing care. For the most part (always with the exception of a nurse or two), the nurses I've worked with at Mayo during my clinical experiences have provided AMAZING nursing care (instead of care that teaches you what NOT to do) and have been very receptive to nursing students. In addition, all the medical professionals have been EXTREMELY nice and open to teaching, doctors included. For example, during my Adult Health rotation and my assigned day in the OR, the surgeon actually invited me to stand up close during a CABG (coronary artery bypass graft - an open heart procedure in which the patient is put on bypass) and actually took the time to talk with me and explain the procedure to me during the 4-5 hour surgery. In my second surgery of the day, the second surgeon was just as nice, jokingly asking me if I wanted to see a "lettuce" procedure next. Overall, my clinical experiences at Mayo have been extremely beneficial. Not to say I haven't gained great experiences at other facilities (I definitely have!). But the consistency of the quality of nurses and the facility itself was never as consistent as the Mayo Clinic.

Now having only been in the Mayo program, I can't say exactly how it compares to the program at the downtown campus. But I've definitely enjoyed nursing school at the Mayo campus so far (minus the typical ASU lack of organization). I'm over half way through and will be graduating in August! We just finished up our OB clinical rotation and are now just getting into Pediatrics while continuing our Community Health rotation throughout the whole spring semester. We'll continue into our last semester this summer and do our Complex Care and Immersion rotations, finishing up mid-August!

As for me, so far I've done well grade-wise. With nursing school requiring a 93% or higher to receive an A, I've received 1 B each semester so far (both of which were 91-92%). Hoping to change that streak this semester! So far, looking good - but I'm actually currently studying for my first Pediatric exam (which is why I'm writing this at 2:00am!). It's been tough, not gonna lie. Nursing school is a challenge no matter where you go. I've had my fair share of rough days and days where I didn't want to keep going. I've definitely had several nights filled with tears and stress and MANY all-nighters studying for exams or "competency testing".

But so far, it's all been worth it. It feels good to be able to apply what you've ACTUALLY learned in theory courses to clinical situations in comparison to information you quickly forget in typical lecture courses during the first few years of college. Clinical is typically extremely rewarding and it always feels good to successfully perform a new skill you've learned in lab, especially when you nail it on your first try (aka my first IV start!). The hands-on aspect of nursing school is definitely why I chose this major. I've absolutely HATED some of the rotations (most of which I expected) and have absolutely LOVED some of the others (some that I didn't expect to like at all). I'll give you the basic layout of our upper division program at ASU (Junior and Senior years following the Freshman and Sophomore years in which you have to complete the upper division prerequisites) and the associated clinical rotations, so you get the idea because some schools refer to the upper division semesters differently. For example some use "block 1", "block 2", etc while we refer to them as Junior 1, Junior 2, Senior 1, and Senior 2. In addition, we typically have each semester split into two parts in which we complete different clinical rotations each half, so I'll just refer to each as Rotation 1 or Rotation 2.

So here's the break down and a description of each rotation:JUNIOR 1 (semester 5 or "block 1") Rotation 1 - Introduction to Nursing- Preschool (health education project) and Well Elder (wellness plan) experiences, "communication rotation" Rotation 2 - Long-Term Care Nursing- Care of patients requiring prolonged nursing care, typically of the older adult, such as in nursing homes.JUNIOR 2 (semester 6 or "block 2")Rotation 1 - Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing- Care of patients with a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, rotation divided into 2 unique partsPart A - In-Patient Facility- Care of patients requiring hospitalization and acute care for a new or previously diagnosed mental illnessPart b - Community Facility- Care of patients in a community setting requiring immediate stabilization or continuity of care for illnessRotation 2 - Adult Health Nursing- Care of adult patients with a variety of medical conditions and treatments in an in-patient facilitySENIOR 1 (semester 7 or "block 3")Semester-Long Rotation - Community Health Nursing- Care of patients in need of varying nursing care in a community setting, rotation divided into 2 partsPart A - School Nursing (my personal clinical placement, varied for classmates)- Care of elementary school students in need of nursing care while at schoolPart B - Correction Health Nursing (my personal clinical placement, varied for classmates)- Care of inmates in county jails in need of nursing care or medical attentionRotation 1 - Child-Bearing, Family, & Obstetrical Nursing- Care of female patients of child-bearing age during pregnancy, labor, and care of their newborn infantsRotation 2 - Pediatric Nursing- Care of patients (0-17yrs.) with a variety of medical conditions and treatments in an in-patient facilitySENIOR 2 (semester 8 or "block 4")Rotation 1 - Complex Care Nursing- Care of patients in an emergency, requiring intensive care, or specialty care in an in-patient facilityRotation 2 - Leadership & Management Nursing ("Clinical Immersion")- Care of patients in the department of the student's choice (depending on availability)

Right now, we are at the end of our Senior 1 semester. Thus far, here's how I've personally felt about the rotations.Introduction to Nursing:
Pointless course when having already worked with people in situations where "therapeutic communication was needed"Long-Tern Care Nursing:
Not for me! The conditions of the majority of the facilities is poor an the nurse-to-patient ratio is often overwhelming. Do not particularly like the type of nursing care required for the patients and don't particularly like working with the older population.Psychiatric & Mental Health Nursing:
HATED THIS ROTATION. Definitely will not be a psych nurse! The nurses at these facilities were (for the most part) NOT interested in teaching and I was told by one nurse in an in-patient unit, "I'm not going to have you shadow me or talk you through my job because students never like this rotation anyway and you always have assignments to do, so go ahead and just interact with the patients however you'd like". In the community setting, the nurses were more friendly, but seemed to lack any sort of patience with the patients and seemed to use sedatives as a solution to all problems. By far the most stressful and exhausting rotation. Even with shorter days, I was always the most exhausted following these clinical rotations.Adult Health Nursing:
Overall, really enjoyed this rotation. Was able to perform MANY of my skills (not all) and learned the most about the technical aspect of nursing care during this rotation. I enjoyed this age group better and there was always a large variety of ages, medical conditions, and type of nursing care needed. Found this rotation to be very engaging and beneficial to learning.Community Health Nursing:
While the majority of my experiences have not been negative, the resources available to these nurses are pitiful and the conditions in which nursing care is provided is limited. I would not want to pursue a life-long career in this type of nursing, but have definitely enjoyed this rotation. Both school nursing and correctional health nursing have been extremely interesting and something I would consider doing perhaps toward the end of my working years as a way to settle down before retirement. But not for me as a permanent job.Child-Bearing, Family, & Obstetrical Nursing:
Prior to beginning the rotation, I had assumed I would not like it. I wasn't into pregnant woman, the families, and was TERRIFIED by the idea of having to work with BRAND NEW, INFANT BABIES with mom and dad watching me intently. I was surprised to find that I absolutley LOVED this rotation! Surprisingly, I found myself most intersted in the care of the newborns, especially of those in the NICU! I absolutley LOVED my days in the NICU. I also enjoyed being the "baby nurse" for the mothers who were laboring. While I did not seem to like this as much, I did enjoy the nursing aspect of labor and delivery, although sometimes it was very frustrating and a tense environment due to the anxiety from the family, anticipation of the newborn, the possible complications that arise during labor, and a woman who is in EXTREMELY intense pain and is frankly... just a pain in the butt because she's in so much pain she can't communicate. My favorite aspect was the delivery of the baby, 2nd stage of labor, and the time immediately following the delievery of the baby, due to the overwhelming happiness of mom, dad, and family. Although, the couplet care aspect of OB nursing was definitely NOT for me. Too monotonous and no excitement involved at all.Pediatric Nursing:
We've only had 2 clinical days so far and they've gone well. I'm not a huge fan of working with SICK children (I love kids, I worked at an after school program for 3 years), so the sick ones just get to me with all the whining, their lack of understanding of why they need medical attention, and their resistance to ALL nursing care. Although, I ABSOLUTELY ADORE working with the infants and babies, particularly under the age of 12 months. They are by far my favorite age group to work with, just like how I enjoyed working in the NICU.

And the rest are still to come!

To summarize the novel I basically just wrote, nursing school is tough and there's a lot to learn. But I've learned the most from the time I've spent in the hospital actually performing the NURSING role. It beats having a schedule filled with boring lectures and labs with lab reports. But, what comes with almost any nursing program are the EXCRUCIATING care plans in exchange for lab reports or worksheets, "concept maps" that are more difficult to try and format in a word document than they actually are to do, and the simulation labs that are always awkward and nerve-wracking because you're being watched and critiqued while talking to a mannequin But I wouldn't change this experience for the world! I am very happy with my decision to apply to the nursing program and my choice of the Mayo Clinic Hospital campus!

While I probably went into more detail than you were wanting, let me know if you have any other questions or would like any other information on my experience so far in nursing school! Like I mentioned before, I'm curious as to why you were interested in my story! I'm not sure if you're a pre-nursing or nursing student, but I hope the experience goes as well for you as it has for me! Anyways, I hope my story was at least kind of what you were looking for! Time to get back to studying... look forward to hearing from you and would love to hear about your experience if you are a pre-nursing student or a nursing student yourself and if you have ANY questions at all, I'd be more than happy to answer them

Mar 26, '12

First of all-- Congratulations for getting in and sticking through it all, what an accomplishment ! And happy early birthday !(what day in April?)

You are an ANGEL.! I appreciate you taking time out of your chaotic nursing school life to give me insight.
A little background for you: I'm 19, a pre-nursing student at SBCC halfway through medical microbiology and organic chemistry. I actually just came across mayo clinic while doing some internet research and loved how great the reviews are. I was wondering, does mayo help with tuition reimbursement in exchange for working for them for a number of years?
I'm currently looking at schools right now, and tuition is really hindering my possibilities. I'm going to apply for spring 2013 semester at CSUCI for this Goleta Satellite Campus program that accepts a cohert of 25 people once a year. But i'd really like to go out of state, so i'm taking an EMT course this summer and will most likely be working as an EMT next year while finishing up general classes like human development and sociology needed for a BSN, then apply to other universities. I've been looking at Minot State University in North Dakota. But also universities associated with mayo. I've gotten A's in A & P and am volunteering in SICU at my local hospital. Unfortunately I got my one and only C in a cultural geography class I took in the summer when I graduated high school which weighted my GPA down a bit.

So you started at ASU right out of high school ? I noticed you said you were taking nursing courses before you started upper division? I'm curious what courses you took ?
Wow I didn't know there was such a span of ages in nursing programs. The monotony sounds so difficult, I too don't do very well with that style.
Have you gotten a look at the oncology ward? Or is that something you have to go back for more schooling for?
Thanks for all this, i've been kind of lost trying to figure out where to go and the reality of nursing school. I've tryed to talk to a few health care professionals but they seem to not reallly have time. But talking to a current student is extremely helpful.

Feel free to speak your mind about any input and such, i'm all about others opinions !

Apr 3, '12

I apologize for my delay in response... I had a busy week. I just moved into a new apartment, so between that and tests and assignments, getting on the internet is kind of my last priority unless it's for school work.

But anyway, thank you! You do what you gotta do. It's not bad once it's all finally over. Just sucks when you're in the middle of it. But even so, it's rewarding to see the end result and are able to see how much you've actually learned. As for my birthday, it's on April 17, about 3 weeks from now

And no problem, I needed something to help me continue procrastinating studying for my test last night Pretty sure I did well, so I guess it didn't matter whether I procrastinated or not.

So I went through your message peice by peice and tried my best to answer all your questions... here it goes.

As for the tuition reimbursement. Mayo does not do any sort of tuition reimbursement. The program is technically run and funded by ASU, Mayo just provides the facility and donates some of their nurses to serve as adjunct faculty for a semester or two. Mayo does typically get very good reviews. They're known for their excellence in patient care, research, and education. Unfortunately, they don't pay for you to go to school and they actually won't even guarantee you a job at the hospital when you graduate. You have to apply just like all the other new grad students. They typically do end up hiring more than half of the 20 students in each graduating class though. I think they like doing the ASU program because when it comes time to train the new grads, it costs them less time and money to train us because we spent nursing school learning off of their systems and equipment.

I do know that several hospital in the Phoenix area do offer some type tuition reimbursement in exchange for committing to working in a hospital/department that lacks nurses for 2 years. I know that Mayo is not one of them, but during orientation we received several flyers with information on how to apply for the tuition reimbursement programs. Some pay for tuition, books, and general living expenses... but you HAVE to commit to working for at least two years in the state of Arizona. I personally wouldn't want to make that commitment, because like you, I'm planning on getting out of state as soon as I can (I actually applied to USC, looking to finish up my degree in Biology that I started before switching my major to nursing). But if you're okay with living here for at least two years following school and willing to work wherever they decide they need you in exchange for tuition, go for it. The catch is, if you break the contract, they make you pay all the tuition money they gave you back Hehe sneaky.

Tuition can do that to you... the best advice I have for you regarding tuition is apply for as many scholarships as you possibly can, apply for student loans, federal grants... whatever you can get. You can always pay it back when you graduate if you end up having to take out student loans. Not the best option, but you just have to weigh your options. Luckily, I pay in-state tuition at ASU (super cheap) and I received a scholarship out of high school that covers nearly all of my tuition and fees each semester. I'm not sure what other schools are associated with the Mayo Clinic... I know the major Mayo Clinic sites are only located in Arizona, Florida, and the original and largest (what they call the “mothership”) in Minnesota. I know the Mayo Clinic does not have their own nursing program and I’m honestly not sure if they’re involved in other universities’ nursing programs like they are with ASU. I honestly have no idea. Like I said, this is technically an ASU program, Mayo is just working cooperatively to provide additional opportunities for nursing education. Although, I do know the Mayo Clinic does have several summer nurse extern programs at a few of their sites. Not sure which ones, but it would be something to look into once you’re in nursing school. Another thing to consider, nursing programs are extremely different depending on the school. The requirements can be very different (I know some nursing programs require more advanced science courses than the program at ASU does) and some courses may not transfer correctly. For example, the courses our program requires you to take during your Freshman and Sophomore year are extremely specific and you probably wouldn’t have taken them at other universities (they have us take classes like “History of nursing and current healthcare systems in the U.S.” and “Clinical Healthcare Ethics”). So my advice as to finding a program would be to figure out which schools you’re definitely interested in and then find out what their program requirements are. Nothing sucks more than taking a bunch of classes for a program they don’t even apply to. Also, try your best to keep your grades up! Nursing school is extremely competitive, especially if you want to transfer… so keeping that GPA up will be very helpful. All of my class at Mayo had a 4.0 or close to it when we applied for the upper division program.

And just some advice for you in regards to taking EMT classes over the summer… I had the same general idea and wanted to get some certification so that I could work in the healthcare field while pursuing my nursing degree. I spent my money and spent my time taking classes to become a CNA. While I enjoyed the classes and the experience I gained through the course during my freshman year, I still to this day have been unable to get a job as a CNA. I’ve only gotten two interviews and have probably applied for nearly 300 positions over the last 3 years. My resume is pretty good, but unfortunately, this is what happens when it comes to getting a job in a healthcare-related field. I’ve heard this from people trying to get all sorts of jobs, new-grad RNs, CNAs, ultrasound techs, dialysis techs, and the list goes on. I’m not sure if this is different in states other than Arizona… but unless you know someone, most healthcare-related employers want new-hires to have at least a year of experience so they don’t have to spend the time and money training them. So it makes it extremely hard for people like you and I (who have just recently obtained a certification) to get a job. Plus, if you’re in school, employers typically know nursing students have crazy schedules and don’t necessarily make the best employees. So before you take the EMT course, make sure to take that into consideration. I’d hate for you to waste your time and money and end up without a job like I have. Definitely weigh your options and make sure you have a good chance of getting hired to makes sure it’s worth it to take the EMT course. Just a heads up… both from my personal experiences as well as what some of my friends have also experienced trying to get a job.

To answer your questions, yes I started at ASU right out of high school. I graduated from a local high school in May of 2009 and began at ASU in August 2009. I had originally majored in Biology because I wanted to (and still do) go to medical school. But I changed my major to nursing because I wanted to guarantee myself a job in patient care, just in case medical school didn't work out. In addition, I wanted the hands-on patient experience NOW, not wait until my 3rd year in medical school. So I switched over in my first semester of college. I basically jam-packed my schedule, taking 18 credits a semester to include both the nursing courses as well as any of the medical school prerequisites I could squeeze into my schedule.

I'm not sure where I mentioned taking nursing courses before starting upper division... but I was probably referring to the "HCR" courses we are required to take(stands for Health Care Related). Like every major, we're required to take "general studies" courses, but they decided to make our general studies courses specifically relate to nursing. So instead of being able to take some class like "The History of Rock" for our history general studies credit, we take a class related to nursing in particular.

Basically the way our program works, you're considered a "nursing" major through all four years of your degree. The way our program works is the first two years (freshman and sophomore) are spent as a "pre-nursing" student, in which you take all the prerequisites for the upper division program. Then you had to apply for the upper division program (they recently changed this... now if you get accepted into the program as a freshman, you're guaranteed an upper division spot). The upper division students (typical "nursing" students, junior and senior year) take nursing specific courses where each semester's credits are split into half theory courses and half clinical courses. The last two years is where all the "technical"-type nursing training occurs.

To answer your question about the oncology ward... Oncology isn't considered a speciality in itself like Pediatric Nursing or Psychiatric nursing. There's oncology floors in adult health and in pediatrics... all just depends on the hospital you're in and whether or not they do oncology. I was on the oncology floor during my adult health rotation. For me, that's just not something I'm interested in at all. Oncology is just a little too sad for me and all of the patients typically require everything to be very sterile... meaning you have to gown up every single time you enter their room - which you will end up hating. And most of them have been in the hospital for so long that they aren't happy campers. Some can be very friendly, have very good attitudes, and can make great patients that are very entertaining to work with and talk to. But from my experience, I found that most were at the point where they just wanted nothing to do with the hospital and were exhausted most of the time and just wanted to sleep. If oncology is something you're interested in, you can definitely get the exposure while in nursing school. It doesn't require additional schooling, you can work in oncology with a BSN, but it does require additional on-the-job training when you start on the floor, as there's a lot of additional things to learn because you're typically the one to administer chemotherapy and there's a lot of safety issues you need to be aware of when working with oncology patients due to their supressed immune systems and health problems, side effects that come with the treatments that are unique to cancer treatments, as well as procedures that you probably won't see very often on a normal med-surg floor.

So the reality of nursing school is basically this: you have to be committed and you have to really want to be a nurse to get through school. It's tough, it's stressful, and it's not something I would do unless I was 100% sure it's what I wanted and was passionate about it. It really is a unique college program. It requires more time than any other bachelor degree that a university will offer. And it definitely takes a special kind of person to do it. So think long and hard about the decision and make sure it's something you really want to do before beginning the journey and taking on the task of completing your degree. If you're going to do it, you gotta just go for it. It would really suck to get half way through and quit because of the time and energy it takes up. So if you start, make sure you finish. Nurses are constantly needed... and although it may be difficult to find a job directly out of school, it will be well worth it once you're able to begin your career and get started.

If you have any other questions I can answer, just ask! I'd be more than happy to answer them whenever I have the time to!

Oct 29, '12

Hi Energizer Bunny!

I have spent the last half hour reading your posts on this forum, and I must say-- it is VERY appreciated as I am taking pre-reqs now and applying next year for the ASU Traditional Pre-Licensure BSN. I have been to the advisor already and planned out my course of action, however, she never brought up the Mayo Clinic program. I am interested in the 16 month accelerated program starting in the summer anyways, so learning that Mayo also offers this route is very exciting to me! I guess I can apply for both programs for the same start date? Is that what you did, and just waited to see which one you go into? I already have a BA in Psychology, so this will be a second degree for me, I'm 23 years old.

You must be finished with nursing school now that its October!! How is it going as far as taking the NCLEX and applying for jobs?? Would love to hear about your post-grad experiences!

Thanks a bunch and best of luck

Dec 17, '12

I was in class with "Bunny." When I applied, there was a spot we could check if we were interested in Mayo. They accepted the top 20 that requested it. I heard that may not have been the case with the new class as they increased the class size and had fewer people request Mayo.

Everyone who graduated in my class passed NCLEX on their first try, but not everyone made it to graduation. And I'd say about half have jobs, some haven't started yet (myself included).